Eph 3:17 | KingComments | STEP | . The great truths that Paul has been able to present till here also fill his own heart. Overwhelmed by all that he received from God, he falls on his knees before “the Father” of our Lord Jesus Christ. In chapter 1 he already went into prayer to God. There he focused on “the God of our Lord Jesus Christ” ( ). I already clarified the distinction between ‘the God of’ and ‘the Father of’ in the study of chapter 1:3. In chapter 1 Paul prays that the Ephesians would also learn to understand and enjoy the riches that he has described. He surely could write to them that they were blessed with all spiritual blessings in the heavenly places, but he didn’t have the ability to make them capable of making those blessings their own and also to enjoy them. ‘The God of our Lord Jesus Christ’ had to make them capable for that. That’s why he lifts up his eyes to Him and asks if He will grant them the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him and that the eyes of their heart might be enlightened’. The blessings Paul speaks about there are the possession of every believer individually . It’s wonderful to see how Paul commits himself to make them aware of these blessings and that they enjoy them. For him, it is about getting a message across and then moving on. He wants what he has passed on, to ‘arrive’ in the hearts of the believers. Although it is hard to understand some things, he is doesn’t adjust his message. Adjusting the message is quite often the tendency in professing Christianity today. The message becomes a product that is being adjusted to the desires of the ‘client’. But when Paul preaches the Word, he does that as it is given to him and simultaneously he asks his Sender, in Whose Name he preaches, if He will grant that the Word that has been preached, will also be understood. This example should be followed by every preacher. Paul was certainly aware of the needs of his ‘audience’. He knew that he could not write the contents of the letter to the Ephesians to the believers in Corinth for example. They were not ready to receive this message yet because they were carnal. That he could tell the Ephesians about the tremendous blessings – to the individual believer and to the church – doesn’t mean that they were able to understand all this on their own. It is not a matter of intellectual ability, a great intellect, but of the heart. When it is understood with the heart, it will have its effect in life. It is Paul’s desire that this happens and he prays for that, both in chapter 1 and in chapter 3. The motive for his prayer here is what he said in the previous part. The essence of that is the “unfathomable riches of Christ” ( ). This is what he means by “for this reason”. It is his desire that the believers will also understand the blessings they have received collectively , as the church, besides their personal blessings. The blessings of the church are perhaps even greater than those of the individual believers. An example may clarify this. You can throw a large number of stones in a heap; you can also build a house out of those stones. In both cases you have the same number of stones, but when a house is built of it, that stack of stones has an enormous added value. That is also the case with the church. All who know the Lord Jesus are living stones, because they have Him as their life. But they represent more. Together they are the house of God, that is the church of the living God ( ; ). The same goes for the church as a body. Every believer is a member of that body. They are not members who each live for themselves. Together they are the body of Christ. Of that body He is the Head. Paul just told about the wonderful blessings that are connected to it. Here also he is aware of his incapacity to make them capable to take the blessings into their heart and to enjoy them. For that he starts to pray. He is now praying to ‘the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ’ because the following part is about the Lord Jesus, Who, as the eternal Son, is the Center of all God’s purposes. In chapter 1 he wanted the believers to be aware of all that God had done for them through Christ. Now he desires that the believers will be aware of what the Father works in them through His Spirit. . The glory of the Father is great. It reflects from all families that finally will fill the heavens and the earth. All those families are named after Him because they come forth from Him. He is the ‘Originator’ of them. He gave them all a place in His plans. These families can be families of angels and all kinds of families of people, both Jews and Gentiles. Not that all families call Him Father. That is only applicable to those who became His children by faith in the Lord Jesus. We are brought to that intimate relationship. The Lord Jesus is the Son of the Father from eternity. That’s why He also – in a way – is the Head of those various families. The church, however, is directly related to Him. All who belong to it are the family of God in a special way. That will be expressed in the most wonderful way when we soon enter the Father’s house to dwell there forever with the Father and the Son ( ). . Here Paul is asking the Father to work in accordance with His glory in the believers “through His Spirit”. They have the Spirit as a guarantee ( ). It is also only possible through the Spirit “to be strengthened with power … in the inner man”. Something must happen in the believer and not only with or for him. By “the inner man” are meant the mind and the sense of man, his considerations, everything that is not visible (cf. ). What Paul desires, is that the Spirit of the Father gets the opportunity to fill up that whole ‘area’ with His power. Wouldn’t that be wonderful if you and I would pray that for each other? And what a consequence it would have! . “So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.” Oh, may that happen to us, yes, to each child of God. Paul desires that Christ will continuously be the predominating Center of your deepest emotions and affections. That is only possible “through faith” which means that this place is given to Him in full confidence. Through faith you focus on Him with all that is in you. Also in your life He is the Center, as He eternally was and is and will be to the Father. Then Christ is not ‘just visiting’ you, a temporary Guest, but He can ‘dwell’ there, which also means that He finds rest there. About this ‘dwelling’ the Lord makes a wonderful remark in John 14 ( ). Inseparably linked with this, is “love”, which is the true embedding of the previous. God is love. His love is the origin of all His counsels. He, who has his roots in the Divine love (“rooted”), extracts from there the juices for life; he has this love as the foundation for his life (“grounded”), and is capable of enjoying all the glories that Paul has summarized. In the following verses we will have a further look at that. Now read Ephesians 3:14-17 again. Reflection: How can it be realized that Christ dwells in your heart through faith?

‏ Ephesians 3:17

Second Prayer (I)

Eph 3:14. The great truths that Paul has been able to present till here also fill his own heart. Overwhelmed by all that he received from God, he falls on his knees before “the Father” of our Lord Jesus Christ. In chapter 1 he already went into prayer to God. There he focused on “the God of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Eph 1:17). I already clarified the distinction between ‘the God of’ and ‘the Father of’ in the study of chapter 1:3.

In chapter 1 Paul prays that the Ephesians would also learn to understand and enjoy the riches that he has described. He surely could write to them that they were blessed with all spiritual blessings in the heavenly places, but he didn’t have the ability to make them capable of making those blessings their own and also to enjoy them. ‘The God of our Lord Jesus Christ’ had to make them capable for that. That’s why he lifts up his eyes to Him and asks if He will grant them the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him and that the eyes of their heart might be enlightened’.

The blessings Paul speaks about there are the possession of every believer individually. It’s wonderful to see how Paul commits himself to make them aware of these blessings and that they enjoy them. For him, it is about getting a message across and then moving on. He wants what he has passed on, to ‘arrive’ in the hearts of the believers.

Although it is hard to understand some things, he is doesn’t adjust his message. Adjusting the message is quite often the tendency in professing Christianity today. The message becomes a product that is being adjusted to the desires of the ‘client’. But when Paul preaches the Word, he does that as it is given to him and simultaneously he asks his Sender, in Whose Name he preaches, if He will grant that the Word that has been preached, will also be understood. This example should be followed by every preacher.

Paul was certainly aware of the needs of his ‘audience’. He knew that he could not write the contents of the letter to the Ephesians to the believers in Corinth for example. They were not ready to receive this message yet because they were carnal. That he could tell the Ephesians about the tremendous blessings – to the individual believer and to the church – doesn’t mean that they were able to understand all this on their own. It is not a matter of intellectual ability, a great intellect, but of the heart. When it is understood with the heart, it will have its effect in life. It is Paul’s desire that this happens and he prays for that, both in chapter 1 and in chapter 3.

The motive for his prayer here is what he said in the previous part. The essence of that is the “unfathomable riches of Christ” (Eph 3:8). This is what he means by “for this reason”. It is his desire that the believers will also understand the blessings they have received collectively, as the church, besides their personal blessings. The blessings of the church are perhaps even greater than those of the individual believers.

An example may clarify this. You can throw a large number of stones in a heap; you can also build a house out of those stones. In both cases you have the same number of stones, but when a house is built of it, that stack of stones has an enormous added value.

That is also the case with the church. All who know the Lord Jesus are living stones, because they have Him as their life. But they represent more. Together they are the house of God, that is the church of the living God (1Tim 3:15; 1Pet 2:5). The same goes for the church as a body. Every believer is a member of that body. They are not members who each live for themselves. Together they are the body of Christ. Of that body He is the Head. Paul just told about the wonderful blessings that are connected to it.

Here also he is aware of his incapacity to make them capable to take the blessings into their heart and to enjoy them. For that he starts to pray. He is now praying to ‘the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ’ because the following part is about the Lord Jesus, Who, as the eternal Son, is the Center of all God’s purposes. In chapter 1 he wanted the believers to be aware of all that God had done for them through Christ. Now he desires that the believers will be aware of what the Father works in them through His Spirit.

Eph 3:15. The glory of the Father is great. It reflects from all families that finally will fill the heavens and the earth. All those families are named after Him because they come forth from Him. He is the ‘Originator’ of them. He gave them all a place in His plans.

These families can be families of angels and all kinds of families of people, both Jews and Gentiles. Not that all families call Him Father. That is only applicable to those who became His children by faith in the Lord Jesus. We are brought to that intimate relationship. The Lord Jesus is the Son of the Father from eternity. That’s why He also – in a way – is the Head of those various families. The church, however, is directly related to Him. All who belong to it are the family of God in a special way. That will be expressed in the most wonderful way when we soon enter the Father’s house to dwell there forever with the Father and the Son (Jn 14:1-3).

Eph 3:16. Here Paul is asking the Father to work in accordance with His glory in the believers “through His Spirit”. They have the Spirit as a guarantee (Eph 1:13). It is also only possible through the Spirit “to be strengthened with power … in the inner man”. Something must happen in the believer and not only with or for him.

By “the inner man” are meant the mind and the sense of man, his considerations, everything that is not visible (cf. 1Cor 2:11). What Paul desires, is that the Spirit of the Father gets the opportunity to fill up that whole ‘area’ with His power. Wouldn’t that be wonderful if you and I would pray that for each other? And what a consequence it would have!

Eph 3:17. “So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.” Oh, may that happen to us, yes, to each child of God. Paul desires that Christ will continuously be the predominating Center of your deepest emotions and affections. That is only possible “through faith” which means that this place is given to Him in full confidence. Through faith you focus on Him with all that is in you.

Also in your life He is the Center, as He eternally was and is and will be to the Father. Then Christ is not ‘just visiting’ you, a temporary Guest, but He can ‘dwell’ there, which also means that He finds rest there. About this ‘dwelling’ the Lord makes a wonderful remark in John 14 (Jn 14:23).

Inseparably linked with this, is “love”, which is the true embedding of the previous. God is love. His love is the origin of all His counsels. He, who has his roots in the Divine love (“rooted”), extracts from there the juices for life; he has this love as the foundation for his life (“grounded”), and is capable of enjoying all the glories that Paul has summarized. In the following verses we will have a further look at that.

Now read Ephesians 3:14-17 again.

Reflection: How can it be realized that Christ dwells in your heart through faith?